Oil Rig Jobs in Europe

It isn't obligatory that you were citizen of the EU to work on oil rigs in Europe, though visa and valid passport may be required. As for the permission to be employed and some of other paperwork, it the oil company or a recruiter who will normally take care of that after you have been assigned to work at certain on or offshore oil rig in Europe. The main requirement for a successful candidate is that that individual should be in perfect health with 100% eyesight and hearing and never requiring to use medication to control any health problem or state. If applicant aplies for a position that requires working physically on oil rigs in Europe, you should be strong enough and could endure lifting at least 50 lbs reasonable times a day in course of performing your duties of workplace responsibilities. This is the requirement not only for deck crew members like roustabouts, roughnecks, derrickmen, motormen etc., meaning anyone directly or from time to time involved in servicing equipment and machinery aboard oil rig, but also for some oil rig workers in the catering and holding the auxilliary positions like galley hand.

You won't be hired if your age is over 55, unless your expertize in the oil drilling is exceptional - that's a normal upper age limit not only on oil rigs roustabout/roughneck jobs in Europe, but across the industry worldwide. And, of course, a person under 18 years old won't be hired either.

The upstream division of the European oil industry that makes the most substantial part of hiring for jobs to man this sector, includes big companies and international consortiums and infrastructure based on oil rigs and offshore vessels and platforms ensuring the continuity of natural oil deposits researching process, spotting the deposits, and then developing the crude oil extraction and transporting to the terminals of oil processing facilities. Differently the upstream European oil sector is called oil and gas exploration and production sector. Further the upstream oil industry gets split to land based and sea based sectors, otherwise referred to as onshore and offshore sectors.

Working on offshore oil rigs in Europe

If you have job in offshore sector of the oil & gas industry, your working environment should undoubtedly be classified as extreme: often many miles away from land, continuously exposed to harsh weather, working, socializing, and sharing your leisure time with a limited number of people, working long hours by shifts performing manual operations that require not just strength but also concentration of attention under the influence of never ending stress. Even if you are out of duty having your recreation time, you may be called at any moment to oil drilling deck to help the frilling crew or replace one of it's members should such need arise. Emergency situations occur from time to time, especially on offshore jack up oil drilling platforms, you can't get accustomed to that easily. Technical problems never more regarded as a challenge, but sooner as situations calling for immediate response from the professionals whose trade is dealing with them with as little interruption of the normal functioning of the offshore facility, as it is only possible. Oil rig electricians, motormen, engineers, platform medic, scuba divers or underwater welders keep staying on alert ready to intervene 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. That's one of the explanations why there's such a vast staff turnover on the offshore oil exploration platforms in Europe. Anyway, it is like that in the rest of the world's locations either, whether it is Australia, Malaysia, Russia, UK, USA - Canada, Argentine or Arctic.

The major European oil extraction countries, lead by the world's oil and gas giant Russia, are the United Kingdom, Norway, Italy, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. The major offshore drilling nation in the Europe is UK. Norway provides many vacancies in offshore oil drilling either.

Applying for position on oil drilling rigs owned or run by European companies or corporations based in Europe doesn't imply it's Europen drilling region you'll work in on the offshore oil rigs - the contract may turn out offering an entry level or professionally experienced and responsible position, say, in the Gulf of Mexico, like with BP (British Petroleum). Therefore at least 3 points should be discussed:

Employment options

Work conditions

Salary

It goes by default that company will pay for meals, including snacks, accommodation, work overalls, all personal safety equipment, your travelling to and from the site. Your salary will be in the US dollars. Practically all salary will go net to your pocket, maybe only you'll want to buy some additional personal hygien articles, candy, cigarettes - though not favored, smoking is not banned aboard oil rig. You may smoke in the appointed places on offshore oil platform while at sea. By no means you could cpnsume alcoholic drinks or drugs, that's excluded.

Though entry level working on oil rigs are asociated by the most of people with positions like roustabouts and roughnecks, there other options available. If you feel you have technical inclinations, then have a closer look at opportunity to apply for a job of oil rig electrician, which is like roustabout is also entry-level job for people wishing to work offshore. In case you feel you lack experience, you still have option to apply for a vacancy of electronic technician, a person that takes care of different electric appliances, monitors, controls, proper functionning of the electric lighting and works under the supervision of an electrician. Their income is lower, of course, but if you learn fast, there's no much waiting for the promotion. Oil rig electrics and electronic engineers are much needed oil rig jobs in Europe.

There's always room for advancement: the people that once started at entry level as unskilled workforce can get promoted and become crane operators, deck crew leaders, adminastrators in catering etc. Just be motivated, take initiative to participate in areas other than ones assigned to you initially, take training courses available onboard for free, and at one day former roustabout or galley hand may become heavy-equipment operator, painter, scuffolder, oil rig machinery maintenance technicial, electrician, camp boss - mainstream experience is directly transferable into the opportunities of being advanced and charged with the responsibilities that are compensated better. Concerning the promotion opportunities on offshore oil rigs, it's only worker himself and his own abilities and talents that can set the limit for the persons who can be hard working and responsible.

Oil drilling rigs and the way their personnel operates in the Gulf of Mexico are regulated by nearly one hundred of the US laws and regulatory acts and fall under the maritime law. It is considered an achievement that a voluntary Safety and Environmental Management Program (SEMP) has been completed to ensure continuous improvement of the safety standards both for the people working on the platforms and aboard oil exploration vessels and the environment.